Feed attachment for stapling and other machines



Dec. 13,1927.

-' TAC'S FR ED ATTACHMENT FOR STABLING AND OTHER MACHINES Filed May 19, 1927 4 Shets-Sheet 1.

Dec. 13, 1927.

L. TACKE FEED ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING AND OTHER MACHINES Fiied may 19 1927 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Mm i [was fnwfen't Dec. 13, 1927.

1,652,383 L. TACKE FEED ATTACHMENT FOR STKPLING AND OTHER M A C HINES Filed May 19, 1927 4 Sheets-Shegt 3 Dec. 13, 1927.

L. TACKE FEED ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING AND OTHER MACHINES Fi led May 19. 19.27 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec." 13, 1927.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LOUIS TACKE, on oHIcAG iLLINois, ASSEGNOR 1'0 'H. SCHULTZ & CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION on ILLINOIS.

COMPANY, OF

FEED ATTACHMENT FOR STAPLING AND OTHER MACHINES.

Application filed May 19, 1927. Serial No. 192,551.

This invention relates to improvements in stapling machines and more parti'cularlv for machines of illlS type which are used The object of th in paper box factories for attaching display cards to 'paper'boXes. i

e invention is to provide amachine of this character which is equipped with'mechanism for feeding the display cards consecutively into the desired .p'osition-relatively to the stapling mechanism, including the anvil member thereof,

.to cause the same to be properly positioned relatively to the carton or paper box to which the said display cards are to be at tached as said boxes are consecutively manually fed or positioned under the stapling head for attachment thereto of the display cards, the anvil member of the machine being provided-with suitable gauges for engagement by the boXesto tlon in the machine.

govern their posi- A further object ofthe inventionis o providea trip device associated with the display card feed mechanism to cause thelatter to be operated following the completion of the stapling ofthe next preceding card to a box so as to insure the presence of a display card in the requisite position on the anvil member prior to feeding the next succeeding box upon the latter.

Another object of the invent-ion is to pro vide mechanism of the above typeir'eferred to which may be easily mounted upon existing staplingmachines of the particulartype shown 1n the drawings n the attachment thereto.. In the accompanying d form of an rawings I have illustrated the invention as embodied in the form ofan attachment to stapling machines of the particular type shown, but wish it to be understood that theinvention is'not limited to such specific-embodiment as it may, obviously, be variously embodied within the definition of the claims hereof to adaptthe pling machines. In. the

same to other 'sta sa d drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stapling machine equipped with display card feed mechanism constructed in acco the invention.

rdance with the line 33 of Figure 1.

"Figure is a; detail vertical section on the line 4l of Figure 3. v

Figure 5 is a vertical section on 5- 5 of Figure 3. z

Figure 6 is a verticalsection on the line 6-6 of Figure I Figure 7 is a perspective view of a plunger employed;

V Figure '8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a cam element coacting with the plunger shown in Figure 7.

9- isa detail vertical section 011 the line 9-9 of Figure 4. Figure 10 is afdetail fragmentary perspective view of the display'card feeding the 7 lineplunger of the machine,

Figure 11 is a fragmentary detailperspective view showing the body member of the card :feeding mechanism.

Figure 12 is fragmentary perspective View of a box or carton having a display card attached thereto.

The machine, in the instance illustrated,

comprises the standard 1, the stapling head 2,. the electric motor 3 and gearing bet-ween the latter and the stapling mechanism which includes the spur-gear 4: and a clutch 5 controlled by the footlever 6 to operatively associate the spur-gear 4 with the stapling mechanism. v

Mounted upon the standard land projecting to a point below the stapling head 2, is

the anvil member 7 upon which the elements member while'the edges of the side walls are maintained in contact with the plate 8.

Mounted upon the anvil member 7 is a plate 10 provided with a pair of parallel longitudinal slots 11 through which the project, the latter being carried by the cross-arm 1 5 of the reciprocable plunger 14: which is equipped with a rack-bar l5 meshing with the segmental. spur-gear 1(3 pivotally mount ed on brackets 17 ot' the guide block 18 secured to the anvil member T by means of bolts 19.

The plate is equipped with an adjustable gauge plate E20 movable toward and from its Front: edge, and with a fixed npstanding side-edge flange ll and an adjustable side plate 92 earrict'l by the longitudinally slotted arms 32, secured by means of set-screws Qatto the bottom (it the plate 110. The display cards 253 which are tohestapled to the end walls of cartons 9 are disposed, printed :laces down, between the elements ill and 22 with those. edges thereof, which constitute their upper edges when mounted upon the cartontl, in contact with the gauge-plate Q0. The elements 21 and have their :t'ront vertical edges si iaced from the front edge of the plate l0 a distance sub-tantially equal to the length ot the display cards between the upper and lower edg ot' the latter. Secured to the trout edg ot the elements 21 and 22 is a bar 2t; ergnipped at one end with a longitudinal slot 27 tor the reception of set-screw :28 for permitting adit nent; of the plate 222, the lower edge of aid bar 26 being parallel with and spaced from the topsurtace ot the plate 10 a distance slightly in excess of the thickness of a display card 253. This bar 26 carries llat spring hearing at their free end pOYtlOllS upon the plate to and with an upstanding llat spring $30 for retaining the upper portion o'ta stack of display cards in place.

It will be noted that the slots ll of the plate 10 extend :lrom a point in front of the bar 26 to a point behind the gauge plate 20, the stroke of the plunger 14 being such thatthe card engaging edges 31 ot the shoes 12 IIIOVQ from a point behind the gauge plate 20 to a point in "front ot' the bar 26, the said shoes projecting above the plate 10 a distance upper portions ol teed shoes slightly than the thickness of a display card The said edges 31, areprei'erably the front and slightly beveled edges of re movable steel plates mounted on the shoes As shown in Figure 11. the member in which comists ot a relatively heavy casting machined to the extent required, u-ovide .l in its upper face with a T-shaped longitudinal guide groove 33 to receive the plunger 14 and racleba r 15. The bottom wall of this groove is provided with a slot tltthrough which the toothed portion of the segmental gear 16 passes to mesh with the rack-bar In the front end of the member 18 there is a recess which is substantially V-shapcd and receives the body portion of the crank 36 ol" a shaft 37 which passes tluieugh a menace member 19. V The handle portion 39 of the crank 37 projects through the areuate slot 40 in the gaugcplate 8 and disposed closely proximate to the outer end of the anvil member 7.

A connecting rod ell associates the segmental gear 16 with the crank 4-2 oi a shaft l3 journalled in a, bearing t4 of a member which is secured to the bracket: lti upon which the motor 3 is mounted. The shaft 43 is associated by arenas of nlitre gears or pinions 1:7 and 4-H with the shaft 1:9 journalled in the bearing tit) ot the n'ielnber 45. The shattAS) is equi niiet'l with a sprocket; wheel 51 associated by means ot the sprocket chain witl' a sprocket wheel carried] by the gear wheel -Ll. The sprocket wheel 51. nor mally rotatable on the shaft 49 and is rigid with the clutch member 52 which is provided in the face thereot opposing the bearing 50, with an opening or recess Keyed to the shaft 1:9 is a clutch member 55 provided with a annular groove 56 into whichone end portion 57 ot' a leve' 5S normallyprojects,

the said lever 58 being pivotally mounted between its ends npona projection 59 of the memher 4. 1. [he end portion 57 of said lever is held in contact with the inner wall of the groove so by means of the springtltl. The said end portion 57 of the lever 58 is provided with a recess, the wall ($1 of which constitutes a cam element;

Mounted in an opening in the clutch member 55 a plunger (324 which is hollow and bifurcated at one end. A pin 63 spanning the opening housing the plunge (32 engages in the biturcated end of said plunger and constitutes the seat for one end of the compression spring 64 which serves to project the plunger 62 into engaging relation to the recess or opening 53 in the clutch the free end of the other arm ol wl'iichrests i upon an end portion of the lever 58 the arrangement being such that; when the crank arm 39 is moved toward the anVilT, the crank 66 will turn the lever 58 on its pivot: to throw the cam surface 61 of the end portion 57 of said lever out of engagement with the beveled shoulder 65 of the plunger to thus cause the latter to engage in the recess of clutch member 52 as the said recess 53 becomes opposed to the said plunger.

Thus the two clutch members 552 and 5.5 are caused to rotate'in unison'until the camarm 391s released-and the cam element 61 thus returns to normal position and is engaged --by the cam shoulder 65 of the-plunger 62 the'bar 26 and side plate 21, respectively,

to accord substantially with thesize of the display'cards 25, which are of the same width asthe inner width of an end wall of the receptacle *9, a stack of said "cards is disposed upon the portion ofthe surface of the plate bordered by the elements 20,21, 22

and 26. "The"motor"3 being in operation, the operator fir'stmoves the crank arm :39 to the left to the limit of .its movement in the slot 40 'andinstant-ly releasesthe same. 'This movement'of'sai d crank arin causes the'end portion 57 of the lever- 58 toibe raised out of the'path 'of'the shoulderioe of the plunger 62 which instantly engages the opposed face of the clutch member 52 and'sprmg into therecess 53 of the latter as soon as the same becomes opposed to'the said plunger. Preferably a number of said recesses 53 are provided in order that thecoupllng of the clutch member's'52 and 55 may be practical- 1y coincident with thelifting of the leverend 57. The latter will rest upon the plunger'62 until the la-tter ha's made a partial revolution and then drops into its path so that upon completion of a. single revolution of the clutch members the cam surfaces 61 and will have passed eachother to retract the plunger 62 and stop the shaft 491f10111 further rotation, the pressure of the spring 64 serving to cause the end of the plunger 62 to act as a brake.

The rotation'of shaft 49 obviously eflects a rotation of the shaft 43 and crank 42 to effect a full forward andiback stroke of the plunger 1 f thus feeding the lowest display card 25 into proper positionrelatively to the anvil member 7 where it is yieldingly held by the springs 29. v

The operator now places a carton 9 so that one end wall thereof overlaps thepositioned display card 25, the contact of the edges of the side walls of the carton with the plate 8 effecting accurate relative positioning of the carton and display card. The foot pedal 6 is then depressed to effect a stapling operation of the machine, the carton then moved laterally to approximately the point for the next stapling operation,which is then effected, this being repeated for as many staples as are desired to be used. Usu'-' ally only two staples are so used and after the last stapling operation the operator removes the 'cartonf by a swinging movement erates the "crank-arm 39 to efiectpositioning ofthenext succeeding display card as above described.

The mechanism of the invention effectsia considerable saving in labor in that it eliminates the operation of hand feeding of each display card into position preceding the stapling operation and, in practice, it is found that an operator can more than double the normal output of the machine.

It will be obvious, of course, that while I have illustrated the feed mechanlsm "as ap plied to the particular type of machine shown and forthe'specific purposes ofthat ;ly on successive sheets ofv material, "a sheet feeding mechanism including a support for a stack of sheets, reciprocable means feeding the sheets consecutively from the bottom, of the'stack, a crank-shaft operatively associated with said devices for effectingre- 'ciprocation thereof, gearing a between said crank-shaft andi the dr'iveshaf-t of the ma chine, a spring-held clutch interposed between said crankshaft and said drive shaft,

to the left-during which the right hand opsaid clutch including a member provided with a recess, a companion member provided 'wlth'springheld plunger normally engaging in said .recess'to effect uncoupling' of said "clutch member, and a'sp'ringheld manually operable clutch-control lever, the latter and said plunger equipped with cooperating cam elements for automatically effecting disengagement of said plunger from said recess when said control lever is in normal springheld position.

2. A display-card feed attachment for box stapling machines including a .slotted support for a stack of cards, a member disposed below said support and provided with guides, reciprocable feed mechanism opere .ating through said slots and carried in said guides, said feed mechanism including a' rack-bar, a segmental gear meshing therewith, a crank-shaft and pitman associated with said gear, a shaft associated with the drive shaft of the machine, gearing between said shaft and said crank-shaft, a normally engaged clutch interposedbetween the'said shaft and drive-shaft of the machine, springheld means for maintaining said clutch normally inactive, and a second crank-shaft associated with said spring-held means and manually operable to throw the latter out of controlling relation to said clutch.

3. A- feed attachment for stapling machines including a bracket having two bearlit-3 ings, a crank-shaft and a countershai'it geared to rotate in unison journalled in said bearings, gearing between said countershatt and the driveshaft of the machine, a normally engaged clutch interposed in said gearing, a member mounted upon the anvil member of the machine, a segmental gear carried thereby, a pitman connecting said gear with said crankshaft, reciprocable sheet feeding means operatively associated with said segmental gear, spring-held cam elements associated with the clutch rmmaintaining the same inactive and automatically effecting disengagement oi the members thereof, and a lever for controlling said cam elements having a terminal tor manual actuation,disposed adjacent the anvil member for actuation SllllllltllllGOUSlY with the removal of stapled members from the machine.

4. A feed attachment for stapling machines including a member secured to the anvil member of the machine and provided with guide formations, reciprocable sheet feeding means mounted in said guide formations, a slotted support for a stack of cards disposed over the anvil member and the member secured thereto and arranged for maintaining the bottom card of the stack in the path of said reciprocable means, means on said support for permitting only the bottom card of the stack to be :fed, springs for yieldingly retaining the fed card in predetermined position relatively to the anvilmember, a crank-shaft opera tively, associated with said reciproeable means, gearing between the same and the drive-shaft of the machine, a clutch interposed in said gearing, and manually controlled means associated with said clutch for permiting rotation of the crank-shaft and automatically limiting the rotationthereot to a single revolution following each actuation of said manually controlled means.

5. A feed attachment for stapling machines including a member secured to the anvil member of the machine and provided with guide formations, reciprocable sheet feeding means mounted in said guide for mations, a slotted supportfor; a stack :of

cards disposed over the anvil member and the member secured thereto and arranged tor mamtannng the bottom card otthe stack in the path of said reciprocable means,

means on said support for permitting only the bottom card of the stack to be fed, springs for yieldingly retaining the fed card in predetermined position relativelv tothe anvil member, a vertically disposed gaugeplate associated withthe anvil member and having a slot tl'ierein, a crankshaft operatively associated with said reciprocable means, gearing between the same and the LOUIS moan. 

